Apparatuses and methods for directional coupling are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a directional coupler, a termination impedance, a switch, and a control block. The directional coupler includes a power input terminal, a power output terminal, a couple terminal and a terminate terminal. The power input terminal can receive a radio frequency signal from a power amplifier, and the power output terminal can be electrically connected to a load. The switch has an ON state and an OFF state, and includes an input electrically connected to the terminate terminal and an output electrically connected to the termination impedance. The switch is configured to provide a relatively low impedance path between the input and the output when in the ON state and to provide a relatively high impedance path between the input and the output when in the OFF state. The control block can set the state of the switch.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A power amplifier module comprising: a directional coupler having a first power input terminal, a first power output terminal, a couple terminal and a terminate terminal, the first power input terminal configured to receive a radio frequency signal from a first power amplifier, and the first power output terminal configured to electrically connect to a first load; a first termination impedance; a first switch having an ON state and an OFF state, the first switch including an input electrically connected to the terminate terminal of the directional coupler and an output electrically connected to the first termination impedance, the first switch configured to provide a first low impedance path between the input and the output when in the ON state and to provide a first high impedance path between the input and the output when in the OFF state, the first high impedance path having an impedance that is greater than an impedance of the first low impedance path; and a control block for setting the state of the first switch.
2. The power amplifier module of claim 1 wherein the first power input terminal is electrically connected to the first power output terminal and the couple terminal is electrically connected to the terminate terminal.
3. The power amplifier module of claim 1 further comprising a second termination impedance and a second switch having an ON state and an OFF state, the second switch including an input electrically connected to the terminate terminal of the directional coupler and an output electrically connected to the second termination impedance, the second switch configured to provide a second low impedance path between the input and the output when in the ON state and to provide a second high impedance path between the input and the output when in the OFF state, the second high impedance path having an impedance that is greater than an impedance of the second low impedance path, the control block configured to set the state of the second switch.
4. The power amplifier module of claim 3 wherein the control block is configured to set the first switch in an ON state and the second switch in an OFF state for a first power mode of the power amplifier module, the control block configured to set the second switch in an ON state and the first switch in an ON state for a second power mode of the power amplifier module.
5. The power amplifier module of claim 3 wherein the directional coupler further includes a second power input terminal and a second power output terminal, the second power input terminal electrically connected to the second power output terminal and configured to receive a radio frequency signal from a second power amplifier, and the second power output terminal configured to electrically connect to a second load.
6. The power amplifier module of claim 5 wherein the control block is configured to set the first switch in an ON state and the second switch in an OFF state for a first frequency band of operation, the control block configured to set the second switch in an ON state and the first switch in an ON state for a second frequency band of operation.
7. The power amplifier module of claim 1 wherein the first termination impedance comprises a resistor.
8. The power amplifier module of claim 1 wherein the first termination impedance comprises a capacitor.
9. The power amplifier module of claim 8 wherein the capacitor is disposed on a complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) die of the power amplifier module, the capacitor comprising at least one CMOS transistor.
10. The power amplifier module of claim 1 wherein the first load is an antenna of a mobile device.
11. The power amplifier module of claim 1 wherein the first switch is a CMOS switch having a gate, a drain, a source, and a well, the source and drain formed in the well, the gate formed adjacent the well between the source and drain, the source configured to operate as the input of the switch, and the drain configured to operate as the output of the switch.
12. The power amplifier module of claim 11 wherein the well has a p-type doping and the first switch includes an n-well for electrically isolating the well from a substrate.
13. The power amplifier module of claim 11 further comprising a capacitor having a first end electrically connected to the source of the first switch and a second end electrically connected to the terminate terminal of the directional coupler.
14. The power amplifier module of claim 13 further comprising an inductor for biasing the source of the first switch.
15. The power amplifier module of claim 11 wherein the control block comprises a gate bias control block for biasing the gate voltage of the first switch, the gate bias control block configured to bias the gate voltage of the first switch to at least two voltage levels.
16. The power amplifier module of claim 1 wherein the first switch and the first power amplifier are disposed on separate dies of the power amplifier module.
17. A power amplifier module comprising: means for directionally coupling including an input terminal, an output terminal, a coupling terminal and a terminate terminal, the input terminal configured to receive a radio frequency signal, and the first power output terminal configured to electrically connect to a load; means for terminating the terminate terminal; means for switching having an ON state and an OFF state, the means for switching including an input electrically connected to the terminate terminal and an output electrically connected to the means for terminating, the means for switching configured to provide a low impedance path between the input and the output when in the ON state and to provide a high impedance path between the input and the output when in the OFF state, the first high impedance path having an impedance that is greater than an impedance of the first low impedance path; and means for setting the state of the means for switching.
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July 27, 2010
April 9, 2013
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